Darkness' Strongest Soldier
by Lazlo Pizazzlo
Summary: The final piece has been set in place for my plan of universal domination, yes, but this little creature...do I consider him my true "son"?


_Hey, back from a long absence! And we're celebrating with a OneShot narrative in one of the most underrated characters ever. Also happens to be my favorite. But that's beside the point. _

_TSToF remake is coming up soon--the outline has not yet been complete but I can tell you now that it will get done before summer. Hope this'll hold you over for a while. Ah, and the stuff about his sons and stuff...yeah heh, don't think about that too much...it leads to mental scarring. XD_

_Probably not my best writing...just a really fast fic I made within about 30-45 minutes. Review, please! That'd make me tons happier!!_

_-Laz_

_Everything (c) SEGA_

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"Here he is…"

When I first saw him – that sad excuse for what they called a "hedgehog" – I felt a foreign feeling tug at me, almost as if joy had embraced me and quickly let go. I was never one for happiness, yet this little creature, currently unconscious and blissfully unaware of the trials he would be met with, had somehow found its way into my emotions. And for that, rage burned inside of me like normal. I wanted to reach into its capsule and wring its neck. It would not be difficult to do.

But somehow, I still felt an odd sense of pleasure with this hedgehog. If I were ever reincarnated into such an animal, I would look exactly like it; black and red coloring and all. The humans had done a quality job in keeping him contained, unlike its reptilian prototype. I despised that sorry excuse for an Ultimate Life Form. I wanted it dead from the first second I saw it. But this one was different somehow; it was smaller, more compact, and I could still sense immense power inside him that was capable of coming close to my own.

I caught myself; I was becoming far too sentimental with this thing. This small, pitiful creature I gazed at was only a mere half-breed, I scoffed in my head. Later, I knew, it would cause nothing but trouble for me and the rest of my sons. It was an alien to us, just as much as we were aliens to it. Polar opposites. It would never survive under my concise and strict rule. Still, I had to admit, it would be fun to play with. Sharing my blood would have some increased benefits on my part; it would be easy to contain and punish, lest it disobey my commands. It might not be able to qualify as a full-fledged son of mine, but it could possibly suffice as a pet. I could indeed make room for one more back home, but only if it was necessary. I knew this little creature was a key part in my plan for domination of the entire universe, and if he messed it up in any way, my rage would be beyond anyone's comprehension.

"Shadow the Hedgehog."

And oh, how the name was wrong. The human, Gerald, asked me what I wanted to name it, in which I told him it was of no importance, nor sentimentality to me. In truth, it was not. I did not want to be drawn into his foolish little project to begin with; the only reason I agreed to comply with his needs were because of gems of supreme power called Chaos Emeralds. However, I suggested it to be called "Shadō", meaning "complete darkness" in my native language. He translated it into English – that mockery of a language – and its name evolved into "Shadow", meaning "a dark image cast by lack of light". Personally, I found my name to be more intimidating; needless to say, it was one of the upsets at the time. Due to Gerald's lack of intellect, I decided not to say anything of it. It would only confuse the human more.

As I put my hand on the glass of the capsule, I felt and listened for the hedgehog's vital signs. It had an eased pulse, as if it were sleeping, but once I looked closer at it, I could sense it had a longing to awaken and look right back at me. It was its natural soul I felt, the very soul that I shared, only it was not very accepting of its new body. It was a pity, I growled, that such a small creature would have to endure pain in order to comply with its soul's desires. I knew it was a sentimental being, though I never wanted to treat it like anything more, but I had an ominous feeling that I would share its pain. It was indeed a son of mine now.

Ah, yes, a son of mine. I had plenty of them, bordering on four million. Being a leader of an extremely powerful race specifically made to conquer planets had to have some methods of spawning; and no insignificant female could ever help me accomplish this task. Though I could be viewed to be harsh to my offspring, any sacrifice was needed in order to succeed in my task of universal domination. Each and every son of mine remained loyal to me all their lives, and that loyalty drove them to do anything for me. This new one would not be any different; I would not allow failure on its part, ever. Having my genetics would only add to the reasons to be perfect as well.

I returned to the matter of what to do with the hedgehog. Perhaps it living as a pet would not be dignified enough; but it would not suffice to be a normal soldier. Perhaps this "Shadow" would be an official heir, a prince if you will. His strength would have to be tested first, but to be considered something a little more than an "it" would suit him well. There was something different about this one. He could be capable of doing extraordinary things, much like his father.

Would it miss me? I doubted it. Yet again that gruesome feeling pulled at me as I examined the hedgehog once more. Fifty years after this I would be gone, returning only for him and the Emeralds and to destroy the planet below the place I was now: Earth. I was highly aware that Earth was swarming with humans that treated their planet like a useless thing, and needless to say, it was a shame for them to treat such a fertile planet in a wasteful manner.

Things were bound to happen and change in fifty years' time. It would not settle well with me if Shadow were not to live up to his newly made expectations as a prince. He would make a fine heir, as well as a weapon. The humans' intentions with him were unclear to me, unfortunately. There would still be time for me to strike.

"Excellent," I finally said. "He is everything I wanted him to be."


End file.
